A New Life
by CEWatkins
Summary: Slight AU: A dark secret forces Grace Parker to fake her own death, along with the deaths of her two children. With a new last name, the pair move hundreds of miles away from their hometown to Boston, MA. There they fall in with everyone's favourite vigilantes - The Boondock Saints. Murphy/OC - Set during the first Boondock Saints movie but not quite following the plot.
1. Prologue

Prologue: History/The Plan

Grace's mind had been made up the moment she'd found out. Her husband hadn't always been abusive, no that came after they were married. Once it had happened, she had told herself that she could deal with it, he never touched her in front of their two children and as long as he didn't she would play the part of the proper high society wife. However, once his ugly secret had come to life, there was no way she could keep Jack and Alice in that environment. So she devised a plan.

It hadn't always been a living nightmare for Grace. At first, Patrick had been the perfect Southern gentleman. He had written her long and eloquent love letters, spoiled her, taken her out on Sunday drives and never took things further than stolen kisses and holding hands as they walked among his parent's plantation. It was something you ought to have read in a scene from 'Gone with the Wind', and romantic little Gracie Parker had lavished the attention. Her family hadn't been rich like the Butlers. Her father had been a mechanic and her mother had been a school teacher, they hadn't had money, but they were happy. Grace grew up a stubborn, determined woman vowing to work hard and make a name for herself. She'd worked hard all throughout high school and graduated valedictorian, even with her parent's death right before her finals. She'd been accepted to Georgia Institute of Technology to study Biochemistry and it was there that she met Patrick Butler.

After working hard her whole life, Grace had never experienced the advances of the opposite sex. While she was hardworking and determined, she was still a romantic at heart and the idea that this dark haired, tall, handsome man was interested in her was a complete shock. Of course, she knew she was attractive, with her long wavy brown hair and big green eyes framed by long, doe-like eyelashes, but she'd always been so studious that boys had never bothered with her for long when, oblivious to their advances, she chose studying over socializing. So when the attractive teacher's assistant asked her out, Grace had said yes right away.

Somewhere amongst the late night walks around campus and the weekend study sessions, Grace's plans and dreams had changed. While she had always wanted to become a wife and a mother, Grace had figured it would come after she was working in the medical field. So when 20 year old Grace made the decision to drop out during her second year and marry 27 year old Patrick, her teachers and classmates had been shocked. Grace, however, was in love and nothing anyone said was going to change that. She followed him back to Thomasville, Georgia and the two were married under the willows at his childhood home. The two moved to their new home and everything seemed perfect; until Patrick's true nature became known.

They'd been married for about six months when Patrick had come home late and reeking of alcohol, as he often did. Grace never really batted an eye to the fact that Patrick Butler liked his liquor and he liked socializing with his friends, however that night it was different. While he had been at work, Grace had just discovered that she was pregnant and had been waiting up for him to share the happy news when he returned home. When her husband had stumbled into their bedroom and muttered something about her for waiting up for him like a dog waiting for her master to return home, Grace was shocked that the words had fallen from the lips of her devoted husband. When she told him that his words had hurt her, he backhanded her across the check before promptly apologizing. Grace believed that he would never do it again.

After the birth of Jack and Alice, things went back to normal for a while, until Jack almost drowned while left with his grandparents. The accident was the straw that broke the camel's proverbial back. When the two were alone, Patrick flew into a rage, blaming Grace for going out and leaving the then two year old twins with his parents. How dare she go out with her friends when she had to look after his children? Never one to back down from a fight, the feisty brunette fought back. A wife who talked back was not fit for Patrick Butler and Grace needed to be taught a lesson. Knocking his wife out cold, he tied her to the bed, beat her back with an extension cord and then raped her. From then on, things were never the same inside the walls of the Butler home. On the outside, the family was the picture of perfection, but inside, when the children weren't home, Patrick would become a monster. He was cold and cunning, making sure never to wound here where anyone would see. Grace was left to wear high necked dresses with sleeves, button up shirts with long skirts or pants.

However, Grace tolerated it. She endured the beatings, the rape and the mean words for her children. How could she take them away from their father? They were too young to grow up without one. Then one night, Patrick's past and current dealings all came out of the closet. Patrick had been doing and selling drugs, making deals with the mafia and other mobsters, having many affairs, but the worst of all was the children and the girls. Her husband, the man who had sworn to love and protect her til death they did part, had been participating in human trafficking. Not just participating, he was the leader of the operation. He had been selling children as young as their children and women for prostitution and worse. The very thought made Grace sick. If he could do it to nameless faces, what was to say he wouldn't do it to her or his own children when they rubbed him the wrong way. She needed to get out of there with their children and fast. Telling no one of her plans, Grace slowly began to remove her savings from her personal savings account, along with the little money her parents had left her, and hid it away in a safe spot. She packed away clothing for herself and the children, not taking so much that it would be noticed by the nannies or Patrick, and sent those away too. She sought out the best of the best to craft new documentation for herself and the children, with a new surname. She went about her life as per normal, attending society functions and high tea with her lady's club. It was all so over the top, like something out of a movie, but Grace honestly didn't see any other way out of the nightmare that had been her life for the past three years. Then one day, after picking the children up from school, Grace's plan began.

She faked her own death, along with the deaths of her children.

**Hello all, sorry if you're following this story only to find that I've re-uploaded chapters. I was rereading what I'd writing after taking time off writing for exams so I could punch out a couple more chapters, and realized I had so many typos. Ugh, I really need a beta. Don't worry, I will be uploading a new chapter today (if not two – maaaybe three if you're lucky).**


	2. Meeting The MacManus Brothers

**A/N: Hi all. This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy it. **** Feel free to leave me reviews with constructive critism. I don't own BDS, I only own Grace, Patrick Jack and Alice (and any other people you don't recognise). I apologise for my horrible attempt at writing an Irish accent. I may go back and edit later to just normal speaking, so y'all can imagine the accents. Haha, let me know what y'all think. X - CEWatkins**

Chapter One

Looking up at the rundown building, Grace sighed. This was what her life was now. When everything had gone down, she'd wanted nothing more than to run home to her parents, with her tail between her legs, but that just wasn't an option any longer. Her parents were long gone and the only family Grace Harrison had left were her five year old twins, Jack and Alice. There was no warmth of a mother's embrace to hold her and tell her that she'd made the right decision to leave. There was no father's stern voice vowing to hunt down the man who had hurt his little girl. However, she vowed to be strong for her two children.

It had been hard to uproot them from their comfortable lives in Thomasville and make the move to Boston, but it was safer for them now, and Grace didn't need to worry about them waking to find their father standing over their mother's lifeless body or worse. She shuddered to think what would have happened if they had stayed in that place any longer. Waiting until the cab came to a stop, Grace opened the door and stepped into the dirty street. She could see Jack turned up his nose at the filthy area as he followed her out, only Alice – her sweet little Alice – had a smile on her face as she joined her mother and brother and stared up at the building.  
"Oh Jack!" She exclaimed. "Think of all the adventures we could have here! It's so precious!" Fighting a smile at her young daughter's dramatic enthusiasm, Grace paid the cab driver and took the two suitcases from him.  
"Looks like somewhere a hobo would live." Jack replied, his eyes falling on his mother coldly. Grace shivered, when he gave her that look, it was his father staring right back at her. Jack had fought her tooth and nail the whole way to their new home, all 1,240 miles of the journey. He didn't see why he had to leave the comfortable, spoon fed life he was accustomed to. She'd heard Alice scolding her older twin when she had thought Grace was asleep. It worried her how aware of the situation her two children were. Of course she'd had to tell them as much of the truth as she could once they were on the road, how else could she have told them that they had to pretend that that life had never happened. They were the Harrisons now. The Butlers were in the past. For the most part, the children had agreed.

Letting the children run ahead into the building, Gracie followed them not too far behind with what little things they had left. As they stepped towards the elevator, Grace saw two men walking into it.  
"Oh! Hold the elevator!" She called, hurrying her steps. "Jack, Alice, in you go." The twins were closer than she was, and fear clouded her mind as she hurried to step into the elevator when they did. She didn't know these men from Adam, what if they closed the door while her children were inside and—Taking a deep breath, Grace stepped into the elevator and gave a weak smile to the man who was holding down the button. "Thanks." She said a little out of breath. She needed to calm down. No one was going to hurt them here. It was a sketchy neighbourhood, but the realtor had been adamant that it was a good one. She'd kept going on and on about the MacManus Brothers like they were the neighbourhood heroes. Grace didn't have time for heroes any more. She was pulled from her thoughts by her son's voice.  
"Whoa! Cool tattoos mister." Her head snapped around quickly to see Jack gazing at the man who had held the elevator for them. She contemplated reaching out and pulling him away, but that wouldn't have been polite. 'They're just tattoos, Grace.' She scolded herself. 'He's not selling drugs.'  
"Thanks, lad." The man grinned, his voice a thick Irish brogue, crouching down so her son could get a better look at the celtic cross tattooed across the man's forearm. "Don' think yer ma likes it very much." The man's eyes were twinkling as he looked up at Grace and winked, causing her to blush and avert her eyes. She'd been caught.  
"Mom doesn't like lots of things anymore." Jack told the stranger, and Grace just wanted to fade into the peeling wallpaper of the elevator. "She used to be really fun." The other man, the lighter haired of the two, barked out a laugh and crouched down as well.  
"Why's tha' then?" He asked, his voice also thick with an Irish accent. The realtor had said that the neighbourhood was predominantly Irish, but she hadn't really paid any mind to her.  
"Dunno." Jack said with a shrug, giving his mother another cold stare that made her flinch, just as the elevator stopped.  
"Hey now, boyo." The first man warned as he got back up and the five of them made their way out into the hall, but he kept his voice light.  
"That's yer mam yer talkin' 'bout. Ain't no way ta show 'er respect, now is it." Jack looked ashamed and muttered sorry. Alice beamed at the darker haired man.  
"You're nice, mister." She said, reaching over to pat his tattered forearm. "Thanks for sticking up for my momma." She fluttered her pretty little eyelashes and Grace couldn't help but laugh.  
"'M sure me brudder would do it again ta hear yer ma laugh like that again." The lighter haired man grinned, nudging the darker haired man and holding his hand out to Alice. "'M Connor MacManus, ma'am, 'n this here is me little brudder," The darker haired man muttered about not being his little brother, but the lighter haired man continued as if he'd never heard it. "Murphy. We's twins. What's yer name?"  
"We're twins too!" Alice replied, excitedly before returning to her mature southern lady act. "It's a pleasure to meet you Misters Murphy, My name is Alice Elizabeth Butl—" Jack's eyes widened and he hit his sister's arm causing her eyes to water in shock.  
"Idiot. What did mom say about our last names?! I'm Jack Harrison and this is Alice Harrison." He said roughly and he went to hit her again. Before Grace could reach out and stop him, the darker haired—Murphy – reached out and stopped him, crouching once more.  
"Ya got a temper there, boyo." He grinned, but his tone was serious. "If ya ever wanna rough someone 'round, me 'n Con live down the hall. Ya come see us, don' take it out on yer sister alright." Noticing Grace's pale face, Conner patted his brother on the shoulder who immediately dropped the boy's wrist and patted Alice on the head.  
"There, there, lass. Ya got a mean shock didn' ya. Ya got ta be brave fer ya mam, alrigh'?" Alice nodded and wiped her eyes. "Good girl."  
"T-Thank you for holding the elevator," Grace said trying to round the twins towards their new apartment. "Have a lovely day." She couldn't believe Jack had laid his hands on his sister. This new anger issue of his was going to be a problem.

Hurrying over to their front door, Grace placed their suitcases on the ground and unlocked the door. Jack barged through and made his way into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him, while Alice clung to Grace's jeans, still sniffling. Grace glanced towards the two brothers, who were still watching the little family, and gave them both a weak smile and a nod before she ushered Alice inside and shut the door with a sigh.  
"Come here, sweetheart. He didn't mean it." She said, crouching down and gathering her daughter up into her arms. "He's just upset about the move." Jack must have heard her through the door because he yelled back.  
"I meant every word! I hate you and I hate her and I hate this new house! It's all stupid, just like you!" This was going to be a big problem.


	3. Night InNight Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Boondock Saints or any of the characters you recognise. I only own Grace, Patrick, Jack and Alice – for now more characters will come later.**

Chapter Two

"What was tha' all about then?" Conner asked, as he and his twin stared down the hallway towards their neighbour's door as the angered screams of their new neighbour's son.  
"Dunno. Righ' little rabbit ain't she." Murphy replied causing Conner to grin.  
"I was talkin' 'bout the kid, Murph." They'd both found the woman attractive when she'd stepped into the elevator, though Conner preferred red heads. The petite brunette had intrigued the twins to no end, especially after her reaction to her son's cold stare hadn't gone unnoticed. It was a shock to see such a timid young mother especially in their predominantly Irish neighbourhood. All the mothers they knew, along with their own mother, were fiery and stubborn. This woman seemed to be ruled by her son, which didn't sit well with either brother. Little boys that treated their mothers with no respect grew up to be men who treated women with no respect. The two brothers looked at one another and made a silent vow to make sure this wee lad got back onto the straight and narrow.

Silently, the two brothers turned and made their way down to their own apartment. It was one of the rattier apartments in the building, but it suited them well enough. Strolling through the unlocked front door, Conner hung up his rosary followed by Murphy. The two pulled their shirts off and walked to their respective beds. Rocco would be returning soon and the three of them would be heading out to McGinty's for a pint and a good laugh. It was just what they needed after a long day at work. Conner made his way over to the open bathroom and stripped down, running the shower.  
"No fuckin' hot water again." He growled, quickly washing the smell of the meat packaging plant away by lathering himself up with soap and lukewarm water. "Ya might as well join me, Murph. Ain't gonna be much left by the time 'm done." When he got no reply, he turned around to see his twin sitting on his bed, staring off into space. "Oi, fuck face, git ya head outta the clouds." Conner grinned, his voice amused as he lobbed the soap over at his brother.  
"Oh fuck of, Con." Murphy growled back. "Hurry up and git outta the shower. Rocco'll be here any second, ya faggot." Rolling his eyes, Conner turned back around and finished washing away all the soap. He wrapped a towel around his waist and bowed to his brother.  
"All yers ya highness." He said in a mocking tone, Murphy just stripped down and growled as he stalked past, bumping his shoulder against Conner's. "What the fuck is yer problem, Murphy?" The lighter twin asked, his tone beginning to get exasperated. Murphy just murmured and shrugged, washing himself under the running water. "Don't tell me yer thinkin' about those kids and the skirt, Murph. Ain't nothin' we can do 'bout it now. Ya wanna stay home 'n go play house er somethin'?"  
"Shut up." Murphy replied, he was worried about the lass and he didn't really know why. He tried to chalk it down to wanting to protect the innocents and what he, his brother and Rocco were currently doing to the bad folk around town. It was more than that though. This woman had a story and Murphy wanted to know it. Her eyes seemed reserved and afraid and whatever it was, Murphy wanted to know so he could fix it and always see the look she had worn when she was laughing. "Where the fuck is Rocco? I needa pint."

While the MacManus brothers got ready to go out, Grace was in mother mode. After getting Jack to open his door and apologise to his sister, she had cleaned what would be their bedroom from top to bottom and set it up as best as she could with what little things they had, so that the twins would have somewhere decent to play while she worked over the rest of the apartment. The apartment hadn't been in horrible shape when they had moved in; clearly the realtor had been in as there had been a mason jar on the kitchen bench with a bouquet of flowers arranged inside it. It looked like something one would buy at Walmart and nothing like the flower arrangements that Grace and the children were used to, but they were still lovely and Grace honestly appreciated the effort that the realtor had put in to make them feel welcome. As she cleaned, Grace thought about the MacManus brothers that the three of them had met in the elevator. She felt ashamed for judging the two of them so quickly, especially over something as trivial as their tattoos when she had one herself. Looking around to survey her work, Grace made a mental note to invite the two of them over for dinner. It was a big step for her, not really feeling like an invitation into their world was in her comfort zone, but they had seemed like nice guys and her children seemed to like them a lot. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to know somebody in the building, especially two men who could keep an eye out for her and her children. If she got to know them better, she might let them know enough to work in her favour.

Grace was pulled from her thoughts by her stomach growling and she immediately groaned. She hadn't thought about dinner. It was nearing 9 o'clock and the children were probably starving. They didn't have much money now, after paying the bond plus a month's worth of rent. She still had to by basic furniture for their threadbare apartment. She'd start work tomorrow as a receptionist for a mechanic and would soon be earning an income, even if it was barely above minimum wage, for the first time since marrying Patrick. The stress of the move had made Grace forget her nerves, but now they were back in full force.  
"Who wants pizza?" She asked weakly, sticking her head around the corner to look into the bedroom where her children were playing on the floor.  
"Me!" They both called back, with wide grins on their faces.

McGinty's was crawling with the regulars and then some as the MacManus boys and Rocco made their way into the pub.  
"B-b-b-b-boys!" Doc called over the ruckus. "C-c-c-come and h-h-h-h-have a-a-a-a FUCK! ASS! Pint." Murphy and Conner grinned at each other and strode over to the bar. They situated themselves in their usual places just as a drink was placed down in front of them. Doc stayed to chat for a while before he was called away to deal with someone else wanting to order a drink.  
"So fuckers, I see ya have a new neighbour." Rocco grinned, taking a long drink from his glass. "Didn't think anyone would be renting out that room anytime soon, especially with the grisly murder that happened just outside the building, but sure enough, I'm walkin' outta the elevator and I hear music comin' out from behind the door. Chick music." The two boys just grinned back at him. "Ya gonna sit there grinning like fuck heads all night or are ya gonna fill me in." Conner shrugged.  
"Ain't much ta fill ya in on, Roc. Some skirt moved in with her two kids and Murph 'ere has the hots fer 'er." Murphy glared and punched his brother in the arm. "'M hurt Murph." Conner said, pretending to be hurt. "Yer more 'en happy to play da to her lad and tell him not ta beat up on his sister, 'n here ya are beatin' up on yer own brudder. Double standards, man." If Rocco hadn't been intrigued before, he definitely was now.  
"Now ya really need to fill me in. Murph wants to get into her pants and he's playin' daddy to do it." If Conner hadn't been sitting in between the two of them, Rocco would have been Murphy's next target.  
"Fuck off." He scowled. "Ain't wantin' ta git in no body's pants. Jus' didn' like seein' the boy hittin' his sister. Their mam's such a scared little thing 'sa wonder he listens ta 'er at all. Someone needed ta step in." Conner grinned and elbowed Rocco.  
"Whadya think, Roc. Methinks the boy doth protest too much."  
"Fuck you!"

"And they all lived happily ever after." Grace finished, closing up the story book. Alice had been allowed to the bedtime story that night. It had originally been Jack's turn, but he had felt bad for the way he'd treated his sister earlier and let her choose. Getting up from the floor was a little difficult for Grace. After years of abuse, her bones just weren't the same any more. Most of the time, Patrick hadn't let her go to the hospital to have her broken bones set properly. Either he or she would have to do it themselves and the bones hardly ever healed right. Grace glanced down at the sleeping bag her twins were currently snuggled up in. While they had both been excited to be "camping out" on their new bedroom floor, beds would need to be on the top of her list of things to buy along with kitchen utensils and groceries. A couch, table and a bed for herself would have to come later. She'd only packed the very basics as it was hard enough to get away with the few things she had taken. Grace had to leave behind all her photo albums, her mother's wedding dress, all of her beautiful things. She'd gotten away with the clothing on their backs, with a few spare clothes and toiletries. Grace sighed and stepped out of the children's room, keeping the door open just a crack. She hadn't even been able to bring their night light, hopefully they twins would be able to sleep through the night without it until she could buy them one. Tonight they would be alright. They were so exhausted that they would all sleep well. By the time the pizza had arrived and they had eaten their fill, it had been close to midnight. Then the twins had insisted on a story. It was now close to one in the morning.

A yawn slipped through her lips as she made her way into what would be the living area. Looking around the room, Grace's eyes settled on the hooks hanging in one part of the living area. The realtor had said that they were there for a curtain to be hung up to create a second bedroom. That would come later, if she wanted privacy, she could change in the bathroom. Rolling out her sleeping bag, Grace placed a torch, her diary and a pen on the bag before getting up to turn the light off. Gingerly lowering herself down to the sleeping bag, Grace began to make a list of things their apartment needed from most important to least. The children's beds, cooking things and groceries made up the top of the list followed by a dining set and a couch. At the very bottom of the list were decorative things like rugs, shower curtains and a bathroom mat, followed by a bed for herself and curtains to divide up her room. With another sigh, Grace closed the diary, and placed it by the sleeping bag with the pen on top. She laid the torch on the ground and unzipped the sleeping bag, pulling off her shirt and bra, before standing up and wriggling out of her jeans. The cold night air nipped at her skin, sending goosebumps along the exposed flesh. She shivered and slowly made her way back down onto the floor where she folded up her clothing and placed them neatly beside the bed. Finally she slipped inside the sleeping bag and zipped it up, the cold bag only making her shiver more. Grace closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, willing the cold sleeping bag to warm up. It had to be past two now, but she just couldn't sleep. Reaching over, Grace turned the torch back on, and reached over for her diary. First thing after picking the children up from school tomorrow after work, Grace would take them all down to the library where she would set up a library card and borrow some books for the three of them to read. The smile on her face soon faded as she heard drunken singing coming up the alley way outside her window. She gasped and fumbled for the torch, turning it off she pulled the sleeping bag up to her chin as her heart pounded away in her chest. Her mind went to the MacManus twins a couple apartments over and prayed they were home just in case those drunken voices were coming for her. Her mind then moved to think about all the horrible scenarios that could come from those voices coming for her as she tried to still her beating heart. The voices stopped singing and she heard loud but muffled voices slurring outside the entrance to the building, they then went away.

Grace breathed a sigh of relief, but continued to lie on the floor, staring up at the ceiling until she could be certain that everything was going to be OK. Barely 20 minutes later there was a banging on the door and Grace let out a small squeak. She struggled to her feet, gripping the sleeping bag around her as she made her way to the door. She looked through the peep hole to see a brown iris staring right back. A shriek slipped from her lips, alerting the person on the other side of the door that she was there. Grace's hand flew to her mouth as she waited to hear if the twins were awake and if the person would go away, but there was another loud banging. Looking through the peep hole once more, Grace suddenly grew very mad. Standing on the other side of the door way, looking very drunk, was a man with long dark hair. With the man were the equally drunk MacManus twins. Grace reached for the apartment keys where they hung by the door, unlocked the door and threw it open, her free hand holding up the sleeping bag that was covering her.  
"Christ, rabbit, I thin' someone stole yer furniture." Conner slurred, peering over her shoulder into the empty apartment. Grace stepped out into the hallway and shut the door, locking it behind her so they couldn't get inside to the twins.

Murphy knew this was a bad idea. It had been Rocco's and Conner had gone along with it after deciding that it might bring some source of entertainment. Now the three of them stood in front of a very pissed off looking brunette, who – was she _naked_ under that sleeping bag? Murphy had to contain the barrage of dirty thoughts that involved that sexy but timid little woman naked and withering underneath him. Clearly, he was more than a little drunk if he was having thoughts like that. Grace still hadn't spoken, but she was fuming. Murphy felt like a sick bastard for getting off on the fact that she looked so much more attractive when she was angry and fired up, much more attractive than the timid little thing she had been before. Before anyone knew what was happening, Rocco was reaching out and running a finger along her exposed collarbone.

The air went still as Grace drew in a sharp breath, pulled her hand back and slapped his face so hard the smack echoed through the hall. Conner and Murphy's eyes widened and Rocco stood there looking just as shocked.  
"How _dare_ you." Grace accused, staring past Rocco at the twins, but not daring to bring her voice above a loud whisper, lest she wake up the twins. "Do you have any idea what time it is? My children are in bed asleep. They have their first day at a new school tomorrow after moving all day. They are tired and they are unhappy. My son dislikes this place enough as it is without worrying about the... the…" She glared at them. "The _town drunks_ wandering around the building, singing at the top of their lungs!" The three men felt so small under her accusing glare. "I suggest the three of you turn around right now, march yourselves back to your homes and think about what you've done. I will not have that sort of behaviour around my children. Now leave." Grace held her ground, barely blinking as she locked eyes with Murphy. "I expected better of y'all."

He knew he ought to be ashamed of himself, even if he wasn't quite sure why, but all Murphy could think was how sexy Grace sounded with her southern accent and sharp words. Grace's sleeping bag had slipped slightly, exposing the curve of her breasts and she was panting heavily. All fear from earlier that day had slipped from her eyes, and there was a fiery heat burning there instead.

The tension between her and Murphy was ridiculous. Even Grace could feel it, even if she didn't want to. She didn't want sex, not after everything she had been through with Patrick, so why did she so badly want Murphy to take her right there and then? Hell, his brother and their long haired friend could watch for all she cared.  
"Yes ma'am." Conner said ashamedly, breaking the staring war she was having with Murphy, as he grabbed a hold of his drinking companions' arms.  
"We're sorry." Murphy said, and if Grace didn't know any better, she'd think his voice was dripping with lust as she fought back the shiver.  
"We'll be going now." The nameless man nodded and turned to leave before stopping and turning back. "Ya really should call the cops about ya apartment, ma'am. Ain't like the folks 'round here to steal." Grace looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face before the absurdity of the situation finally hit her, causing her to double over and burst into laughter. The three men looked at her and then one another before backing away slowly. They'd seen two new sides of their new neighbour tonight.

**A/N – You guys! I have people reading, following and favouriting my story! People that I don't know! This is so amazing! I'd love some reviews so I can get to know my readers, but I'm not going to be one of those authors who beg for reviews or they won't post the next chapter – that really bugs me haha. I hope we can all become friends though, and I'd love feedback on what you'd like to see in the story. I'm nearly done with exams so hopefully I can update soon. I have a vague idea about where this story is going to go, but not how it's going to end. I do know that we're nowhere near the end of it – It will at least be 25 chapters, but it could end up being so much longer. The chapters should start to get longer as well. Thank y'all so much for reading and I hope you stick around for the journey **


	4. Breakfast on the MacManus Brothers

**Hello all! I am so sorry for my long hiatus. Exams are over and I finally have a moment to myself (though now I'm in my last term so I'm not sure when I'll be updating next, so I wanted to give you as much as I could for now. I'm going to try and write as many chapters as I can (at least six to give you one for each week I'll be in school). I'm just not sure if I'll be posting them all at once or if I'll make this chapter longer and release one a week until I graduate. Let me know in the reviews which you prefer. Remember I don't demand reviews to upload, but I do appreciate them. **** \- CEWatkins**

The next morning, Grace was awoken by two small bodies flinging themselves onto her sleeping form. It had been at least three in the morning before she had gotten any sleep and, glancing at her wrist watch beside her bed, she saw that it was just before six. Three hours sleep. Years of training to be a proper southern wife, however, had primed her to never complain.  
"Good morning my loves." She smiled sleepily at her children. "Shall we get you ready for school?"

As the children sprang up and began to rush around the apartment cheering, Grace reached over and pulled on her shirt from beside her sleeping bag. The timing couldn't have been better as there was a knock on the door.  
"Just a minute!" Jack called out, watching his mother struggle to get up from her place on the ground. Standing on top of a suitcase, he reached up for the key and unlocked the door.  
"Jack! You don't know who it is!" It was too late, the door was thrown open and the three drunks – now looking rather sober – were standing in the door way watching Grace struggle to pull her badly healed body off the ground as Alice "helped".  
"Shit, ya alright, rabbit?" Conner asked, nudging Murphy as he remained in the doorway, holding paper bags, before rushing over to help her up when he realized his brother was not going to budge. Grace welcomed the help, wincing slightly as her various bones cracked. Alice had dropped her mother's hand as soon as Conner had sworn and was now standing with her hand covering her mouth with wide eyes.  
"Mister Conner…" She gasped, sounding mortified. "You just sad a naughty word." Jack, who was standing with Murphy and the twin's friend, looked just as mortified at how uncool his little sister was making him look.  
"Alice." He hissed. Conner chuckled,  
"'M terribly sorry lass." He told her, looking sincerely at the five year old. Alice shook her head, looking like a reprimanding school teacher.  
"You'll have to put a dollar in the swear jar, Mister Conner." She said seriously before turning to her mother who was standing on top of her sleeping bag, trying to tug her shirt down over her simple cotton underwear and turning redder by the minute as she was fully aware of just where Murphy's gaze was. A fact that couldn't have made her feel sexier and that embarrassed the hell out of her, especially knowing that not only were his brother and friend in the room, but her children also. The sound of someone clearing their throat, brought her out of her thoughts and she looked to she Conner smirking at her, and her daughter staring up at her with wide eyes.  
"I'm sorry, what did you say, Alice?" She asked, knowing she was supposed to have answered something. With an overly exasperated sigh, Alice repeated her question.  
"Where's the swear jar, momma?" She asked innocently. With great difficulty, Grace crouched down and looked into Alice's eyes.  
"You know that we had to leave that behind, baby." Alice nodded, a silent 'oh' leaving her little mouth.

Grace felt terrible as she slowly put her hand on her knees and pushed off to stand up. Looking down at her legs, she realized just why Murphy had been staring. Of course it wasn't because he was attracted to her. Both Conner and their friend were also staring. Reaching down, she snatched up her pants and timidly made her way into the bathroom to change.  
"Momma?" She heard Alice call sadly as she shut the door.  
"Just a second baby."

The bathroom door shut, leaving an awkward air between the three men left standing in the room.  
"Told you she wasn't fun anymore." Jack muttered to Murphy, who just sighed. It had been hard to see it in the dimly lit corridor last night, but now in the new light of the day, they could all see the scars littering her legs and collarbone, exposed by the white button up shirt she wore haphazardly. He shared a look with his twin before taking the bags he carried over to the kitchen bench, noticing the flowers on the bench. His brow creased as he noticed they were about the only thing in the small kitchen – aside from an old pizza box. Whoever had robbed them had cleaned the place out. Thinking about what Grace had said when asked about the 'swear jar'. How much stuff had they 'left behind'?

Before he knew it, Conner was in the kitchen unpacking the paper bags out onto the counter.  
"How 'bout breakfast?" He asked the children. Their eyes lit up as they bounded over to the counter.  
"What'd you bring Mister?" Jack asked, sniffing the air. "Doughnuts?!" His face nearly spilt with the wide grin that lit up his face, and Alice clutched her arm.  
"And coffee." Rocco grinned, bringing the tray of cups over.  
"Well, hot coco fer you kiddies." Conner grinned, causing Jack to pout.  
"I'm the man of the house." Jack glared up at Conner.  
"Well suuuure, but ya mam wouldn' want ya hyped up on coffee b'fer school." They heard the bathroom door open and close, and looked up to see Grace exiting looking much more presentable. Murphy couldn't help but think she'd looked better undressed – even with the scars. She looked so untouchable in her tailored pants and neat blouse.

"Mr. MacManus is right, Jack." She said, trying to look confident, but failing. Her eyes scanned the meal laid out on the table before looking up at the boys. "Oh… I appreciate this, but it's really too much." She told them, glancing down at the floor to ignore the look her son was giving her. "Really… I—" Conner cut her off.  
"We wanted ta apologise fer last night." He told her sincerely. "See we weren't thinkin' clearly and didn' think that the kiddies would be in bed - er yerself fer that matter." Grace blushed, her gaze still on the ground.  
"It's fine. Thank-you." Now she didn't need to worry about where the children's breakfast would come from – even if it wasn't particularly healthy. "You two will need to brush your teeth extra well this morning." She told her children before stepping closer to take a glazed doughnut and bite into it. The taste exploded onto her taste buds and a small moan escaped her mouth. How long had it been since she'd had anything sugary like this? Patrick had always forbid her from having anything that would cause his wife to put on weight.

At the heavenly sound slipped from her lips, Murphy's head whipped around to glance at her, his eyes widening and his trousers feeling slightly uncomfortable. Who knew the lass had that sort of sound in her? Conner noticed his brother's reaction and snickered.  
"Ease up, rabbit." He smirked. "Er we might have a problem on our hands." Grace blushed and looked away, glancing quickly at her watch.  
"Oh!" She gasped. "Oh children, hurry we need to get going. Finish your breakfast and I'll get your clothes ready." Normally by now the nannies were taking over and her children were being whisked away. Murphy stepped forward,  
"Eat. Lemmie help ya." He said sincerely, putting a hand on her shoulder before jolting it away. Grace swallowed and nodded, looking up into his eyes.  
"Just through there." She whispered, pointing to the bedroom door. Murphy held her gaze for a little longer before nodding and making his way into the bedroom.

"That girl's got ya wrapped around her little finger." Rocco chuckled, pulling around a chair and sitting backwards on it. Conner chuckled and threw himself on his brother's bed.  
"I've never seen ya so flustered, Murph. 'What 'bout this one, Alice?'" He teased, mimicking his brother. "Honestly, fer a sweet lil thing, she's surely bossy." Murphy just scowled and threw Conner's pillow at him. Who knew that children were so picky about their clothing? But it had made Grace laugh. Just the memory of that small giggle brought a smile to Murphy's face.  
"Though… Isn't it weird they only had two suitcases in the whole apartment?" Rocco said suddenly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.  
"Yeah, 'n them clothes looked pretty dear." Conner added. "Hey, Murph, ain't it funny that they had only those sleeping bags and nuthin' else?" Murphy rolled back onto his brother's bed and placed his hands behind his head.  
"Mmm. I was thinkin' the same thing, Con. The hell is that lil rabbit playin' at?" He added, mostly to himself.  
"Not ta mention those scars on her body." Rocco added, clutching the back of his chair a tightly. "Thinkin' back ta last night, I swear I saw scars on her chest last night. Was the skin on her neck kinda off coloured?" Murphy clenched and unclenched his fist.  
"Murph, we'll get ta the bottom o' things after work." Conner said, noticing his brother's anger. "She ain't gonna talk 'bout it in front o' the kiddies, maybe it'd be better if we split up. Ya ask her out fer drinks and Rocco 'n I can babysit."  
"Fuckin' what?" Rocco spluttered. "Babysit? Those brats?"  
"Oi!" Murphy growled, glaring over at Rocco. "They ain't brats." He muttered before glancing at the clock. "We'd better get goin' ta work." He told Conner, wanting to wipe the smirk of his and Rocco's stupid faces.  
"Shut the fuck up both o' ya." He growled, grabbing his things and leaving the apartment.

Not wanting to wait around for the elevator and chance Conner and Rocco giving him more shit, Murphy decided on the stairs. The dark haired twin was not even half way down the stairs when he nearly ran into Grace on her way back up.  
"Oh, hi." She said, slightly out of breath with a sweet smile on her slightly flushed face. "Elevator's broken, but I guess you know that if you're taking the stairs, huh?" Murphy watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you again for this morning. I'm sorry the twins were a little difficult. They're not exactly used to…" His smile slipped from his face as she faltered and turned back into her timid self. Noticing Conner and Rocco following him down, she clammed up. "Oh, well never mind. I've got my first shift today, so I should go up and shower." She folded her arms and shifted her feet.  
"Oh yeah… Yeah… Ya should…" He replied, nodding. He knew that his brother and Rocco were behind him, but he had to do something. "What time d'ya get off tonight?" Grace's eyes widened.  
"Um…" She said, blankly, staring up at him. "S-six? But I have to pick the kids up from the after school program and cook them dinner." She recovered quickly.  
"Rocco and I could get them, rabbit." Conner grinned, putting his arm around his brother's shoulders. A look of horror crossed Grace's face. "Oh come now, don't treat us like we're baddies." Grace stepped up and around the three men.  
"Sorry boys, I can't." She told them, backing slowly up the stairs.  
"Oh 'course." Murphy said, feeling sheepish. Grace saw his expression and felt instantly guilty. "How about you three join us for dinner instead?" She suggested.  
"Sure, if yer sure?" Murphy asked.  
"Yes, definitely. How does seven sound?" She replied with a small smile.  
"See ya at seven then." Conner replied, and Grace smiled.  
"I'll see you tonight then."

**Sorry that was more of a filler chapter, don't worry and not as long as I hoped it would be. However, for this disappointing chapter, I'll post a second tonight. Until then. **


	5. A Little Help

**Thank you to all who have reviewed and favourited the story! I can't believe that people I don't know are reading and liking my little fanfiction! Hopefully this chapter will be a little more exciting for you. I've decided to upload a chapter once a week. I'll most likely be uploading on a Wednesday. **** Right, so I'll get on with it as I don't want to be one of those people with the giant author notes. – CEWatkins**

Two gentlemen in smartly tailored business suits sat out the front of a small café, their lattes and a slice of cake untouched as they discussed business. A gust of wind blew past, sending a napkin from their table flying out in front of a young woman and her two children. The little girl stopped and picked it up, walking over to the larger of the two gentlemen.  
"Hey mister, I think you dropped this. You'd better not litter, it's not good for the en… en… momma?" She looked over the shoulder at her mother, seeking for the right word.  
"Environment." Her mother replied, looking slightly wary of the two gentlemen. "It's alright baby, we'll just put it in the trash. I'm sure these gentlemen don't want to use it after it's been on the ground." She smiled nervously at the two men before taking the napkin from her daughter to put it in the trash. "We'd better hurry now, Murphy and Connor are coming over for dinner, remember?" The kids cheered and soon the small family was walking down the street as the children chatted animatedly about their day at school. Once the little family were out of sight, one of the men reached for his latte and drank from the glass. His companion watched him as he swallowed, set the glass down and paused thoughtfully before speaking.  
"Hey Al, those kids… Sure looked a hell of a lot like the Boss' kids huh, and the lady – if her hair was about ten inches longer and pinned up, she'd look a lot like the Boss' wife." Al nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah Vic, real creepy huh, 'specially when they died not too long ago. My nonna used to say that everyone had this uh… what was the word? Oh yeah - doppelgänger." Vic shot an annoyed look at Al before reaching to dial a number on his cellphone. After two rings, it picked up.  
"Hey Boss, I think I found something in Boston you might be interested in."

After a quick stop to the grocery store, Grace and her family arrived back to their building to find that the elevator had been fixed. With a small, appreciative sigh, Grace waited for the machine to travel down to their floor. While she didn't mind the exercise, it would have been a pain to carry all those bags, plus the children's school bags up to the third floor. It had been hard enough on her body to carry them from the grocery store two blocks from their building. Just as the elevator doors opened, she felt someone come up behind her and pluck the heavy bags from her hands. She jumped slightly and was about to usher the children away up the stairs, when she heard a familiar chuckle. A hand shot out and held the elevator door open and she saw the familiar tattoo.  
"Don't _scare_ me like that." She sighed, turning to look into the smirking face of the fairer MacManus brother.  
"Sorry, yer just so fun ta tease, rabbit." Connor grinned, jerking his head toward the inside of the elevator. "C'mon, get inside. Murph ain't gonna stand around and hold it open all day – though if it were you askin' he jus' might." Connor winked and stepped around Grace, his attention immediately going to the twins as they told him excitedly about their first day. Shyly, Grace looked up into Murphy's blue eyes and smiled.  
"Thank you for holding the elevator again, Mister MacManus." She said softly, willing her face not to blush before she looked down again and stepped into the elevator to join her children. Murphy joined them and soon the five of them were travelling up to their floor. "Oh. Where's your friend? My invitation was extended to him as well." She said suddenly, noticing their friend's absence.  
"Who? Rocco? Nah, he had some things ta do – work stuff. He don't really work shifts like us normal folk." Connor said with a shrug, before peering into one of the bags. "So what's fer tea?" He asked, smoothly changing the subject. Grace blushed and hugged herself, feeling useless with nothing in her hands.  
"I was thinking just spaghetti and a side salad. Pork mince was on sale." She said, feeling embarrassed that she hadn't been able to afford much else.  
"There was also garlic bread on sale too, so momma brought it for a treat." Alice told them excitedly. She tugged on Murphy's pants. "Hey Mister Murphy, will you let me ride on your shoulders?" She asked after thinking about it.  
"Oh I don't think—" Grace began, but Murphy interrupted her.  
"Sure." He grinned, crouching down so Alice could climb up. Once she had, he stood back to his full height.  
"Look Jack! I'm so tall!" Jack looked away, muttering how he was still taller and she was just cheating. Grace smiled fondly and brushed his hair back, only to have him swat her hand away, causing her to flinch.  
"Jack…" She said softly, sadness laced through her voice.  
"I'm not a baby." He huffed, pushing through the group as the door opened.  
"I'm sorry." She whispered to the two men, tears prickling at her eyes. "It's just been so hard on him." Murphy made to reach out to her, but stopped.  
"Boy just needs ta learn some manners." Connor told her gently. "Why don't he come spend time with us boys until dinner? Give you and Miss Alice a chance ta have some girly time." Grace looked towards her son as he kicked the door, waiting for his mother to unlock it.  
"Alright." She said softly, surprising both Connor and Murphy. "Jack, why don't you go over to Mister and Mister MacManus' house until dinner?" Jack looked over and his eyes lit up.  
"Really, momma?" He asked, sounding so childlike. "Really? Without Alice, all by myself?" Grace nodded.  
"But you have to be on your best behaviour." Jack ran towards them, hugging her around the middle.  
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" He said, his voice muffled against her thighs. Grace laughed softly and looked up at Connor and Murphy.  
"Thanks."


	6. Boy Time

**Sorry for the late post. Thanks for the reviews and follows. It really boosts my ego. **** \- CEWatkins**

After going their separate ways, the boys brought Jack back to their apartment.  
"Alrighty boyo," Connor said, looking down at the young boy. "Murph and I're gonna take in turns ta shower, OK?" Jack nodded, his eyes roaming around the apartment. Connor looked towards Murphy and gave his head a jerk towards Jack. He walked up to him and whispered.  
"Ya fancy his mam, might as well go play da to him, brudder." Murphy scowled at Connor but turned to the kid.  
"'Fraid we don't got much by way'a toys, Jack." He said, pulling up a chair.  
"Last time, you said we could wrestle." Jack said after thinking about it. Murphy grinned.  
"I dunno boyo, wouldn't want ye ta git hurt." Jack's face turned into a smirk, catching the older man off guard for a moment. In that moment Jack attacked, running towards the Irishman, only to be picked up and thrown into the air. Squealing out in delight, Jack flew high up almost touching the ceiling before he was falling and back in Murphy's arms.  
"Again!" He grinned, wriggling excitedly before he was in the air once more.

It was the squealing and laughing that pulled Connor from his own thoughts. Turning around, he watched his brother throwing the little boy up in the air and catching him. Then they were rolling around on the ground, play wrestling. The whole time they were playing, neither Murphy nor Jack lost the huge grins on their faces. This in turn made Connor smile widely. He'd never seen his brother so happy and relaxed around anyone that wasn't Connor. He quickly finished his shower and dried off, slipping into his clothes quickly so that he could switch out with Murphy. Though as he approached the scene, he felt a pang of something he couldn't quite place. The two of them, playing together so happily, really did look like father and son. Jack didn't look all that different to Murphy, and if he didn't know any better, he would have thought Jack really was his brother's son. It had always been Connor and Murphy, Murphy and Connor – the MacManus twins. Even when Rocco had joined their duo, they had always kept that brotherly bond. Then the two began their plight to rid their city of evil men, and Rocco had soon joined them, but at the end of the day it was Murphy and Connor going back to their apartment. Now Murphy had a chance to leave Connor. Neither Murphy nor Grace seemed to know their feelings, but Connor noticed it. He noticed the little glances, the flushed faces and the small smiles. He saw how much her children adored his brother. Sure, they adored him too, and that made Connor happier than he could imagine, but it was different with Murphy. It pained him that his brother might move on but at the same time, he wanted to give him the chance to decide for himself. If he and Grace decided to take things further and change their relationship, then Connor would be OK with that and he would just have to learn to share.

An idea suddenly formed in Connor's mind.  
"Hey Murph, shower's free." He said, moving to lie on his bed.  
"Con… ya alright?" Murphy asked, moving to hold a giggling Jack still so he could look at his twin.  
"Yeah, m'fine, really, go shower so we can go." He replied, shooing Murphy away. Murphy didn't bite.  
"Somethin's wrong." He said firmly. Inwardly, Connor smiled. Hook, line and sinker. Honestly, someone ought to give him an Oscar.  
"Jus' not feelin' too hot." He let his voice trail off, before quickly adding "But I'll be fine really. Don' wanna miss out on the wee rabbit's cookin'."

Murphy wasn't too sure what Connor was playing at.  
"If yer not feelin' well, we can always go anudder time." He said, trying to ignore the disappointed look on Jack's face.  
"Now, no need ta disappoint the ladd, Murph. You go. I'll jus' stay home and sleep it off." Connor said, moving to prop himself up but pretending he was too weak. Murphy squinted his eyes and eyed his brother off suspiciously. Yup. He was definitely up to something.  
"Alrigh'." He said simply, he wasn't sure what Connor was up to, but he wasn't going to argue. He supposed it had something to do with getting Grace to trust and open up to them.  
"'M jus' gonna shower, Jack. Try not ta wear Con down, alrigh'?" Jack nodded, but moved to stand by Connor.  
"Your tummy feel yuck, Mister Connor?" He asked. Connor nodded, giving a small groan for emphasis causing Murphy to scoff from the shower. "My momma's really good when I have a sick tummy." Jack continued in his sweet little southern accent, melting both men's hearts. Jack wasn't a bad kid; he just had a bit of a temper. "When we go back for dinner, I could ask her to come back and give you a wet face towel. If you're real lucky, she'll pat your back and read you a story. She always lets me pick when I'm sick."

Not even half an hour later and Murphy and Jack were standing out the front of Grace's apartment. Murphy could hear Grace on the other side of the door, unlocking the millions of locks that kept the door bolted shut. It was strange that she did it. Sure, the neighbourhood was a little rough, but folks around here looked out for one another and the crime rate was lower than a lot of other neighbourhoods in the area. He could understand it during the day when he and Connor were at work, but they had been just down the hall and would have heard if she'd called out. Finally the door was open and Murphy had to mentally control himself. She looked beautiful. A crisp pale blue skirt fell down around her knees and a tight white shirt hugged her body. His eyes wandered down her body, stopping at her bare feet, and he forgot how to speak.  
"Momma, Connor's sick." Jack said, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked up to Grace's face once again to see that her cheeks were flushed.  
"Oh?" She asked, looking quizzically over at Murphy.

Grace had noticed the way Murphy's eyes had wandered her body. She'd told herself that she hadn't dressed up for him, but after getting home, the first thing she'd done was shower, using the shampoo and conditioner that she'd just bought. She'd also selfishly splashed out on a tube of mascara and blush, and finished the look off with tinted lipgloss that was always in her bag. The skirt and t-shirt weren't the like the nice clothes she had once owned, but they were the nicest things she owned now. It made her feel confident that Murphy liked what he saw, and the fact that she enjoyed his eyes on her, made her blush. Then Jack had told her that Connor was sick.  
"I guess we'll have to send some dinner home with Mister MacManus, won't we?" she said, and Jack nodded.

It touched Murphy that she was worried about his brother.  
"Well, why don't you come in, Murphy." Grace said shyly, stepping out of the way so he could enter the apartment. "I'm sorry we don't have much by way of furniture."


	7. Dinner Date for Four

**AN: Worst updater award goes to me. I'm sorry guys, I've got my final recital on Wednesday and I've been freaking out about that and getting my class work finished. No more school ever on Friday. Eeek. I'll be starting a new job Monday, but I'll have the night time. I'm also going back and reformatting this story. Again? I hear you cry. I know. I'm sorry again. Does anyone actually read these? Pineapple. Here's an unscheduled update to apologise for being such a terrible person.**

They really didn't have much at all. Murphy had thought that he and Conner's apartment was sparse, but this one had no furniture at all. As he passed the children's bedroom, he could see their sleeping bags all rolled out. They had a light in there now, plugged into the power socket. She must have brought it that afternoon. He could see her sleeping bag rolled up by the window, and knew she'd be unrolling it after he had gone and going to bed on the hard linoleum floor.

She'd placed a red checked picnic blanket on the floor and four plastic plates with match knives and forks lay on top of it. At the head of each plate sat a plastic cup. A pot, a plate piled high with garlic bread and a bottle of store bought water sat in the middle of the blanket.  
"It was Alice's idea to have a picnic." Grace said, moving towards the blanket in the middle of the floor. "Jack, go and wash your hands." Jack started to fuss, but Murphy simply placed his hand on the boy's head.  
"Gotta wash up myself." He said simply, steering him towards the bathroom. Jack went without so much a word. Hugging herself tightly, Grace couldn't believe this was the same boy who had been taking his anger out on her front door earlier. Murphy and Connor had already been such a big help in reigning in her son so far. The thought made her feel somewhat insecure as a parent.

Once Jack and Murphy had washed up, the four sat down on the blanket. Alice and Jack had both wanted to sit beside their new neighbour, so the Irishman sat in the middle of the two. She had no idea how things would have worked out it Connor had been there also. Grace would have most likely been left to stand at the kitchen counter and eat her dinner while the two sets of twins at and had a picnic. As usual, Grace took her time sitting down on the ground. Murphy had moved to help her, but she had waved him away. Getting down was hard, but it was a lot harder getting back up. They both ate in silence, happy to let the twins talked excitedly about their day and chime in occasionally when asked something by one of the twins.

When it came time to get ready for bed, it was Alice's turn to kick up a fuss. She wanted Murphy to put her to bed and no one else. Of course, Jack only agreed to the idea and off they went, leading a slightly terrified grown man off to the bathroom for bath time.  
"Don't worry, mostly they know how to take care of themselves." Grace called after them. "Alice can't rinse the shampoo from her hair, they'll tell you what to do." The panicked look he sent her only made her giggle more. As she cleaned up she made a plate for Connor and listened to them talk. It was all fairly silly stuff, the twins playing in the bath water and the occasional deeper tones from Murphy, innocent stuff.  
"Mister MacManus?" She head Alice ask, and the splashing quieten down. "Are you going to be our new daddy?"

Grace's heart ached at the innocence and confusion in her daughter's voice. Murphy must've been just as stunned.  
"Yeah." Jack echoed, cutting her deeper. "Our old dad…" Jack trailed off so Alice continued.  
"We're not supposed to talk about it, but he wasn't very nice to momma…" Grace's breath caught in her throat. What was she supposed to do? Call out or pretend she'd heard nothing.  
"It'd be real nice if you were, Mister Connor could be our uncle. We've never had an uncle before." Jack continued, feeling more confident. Grace clattered around the kitchen, forcing herself to hum as if she wasn't listening.  
"When y'all are done in there, show Mister MacManus where your pyjamas are kept and don't forget to brush your teeth. Jack, your hair needs brushing too. I'm just going to take this food over to Connor, alright? Behave." She called out, picking up the plate with shaky hands and leaving the apartment, locking Murphy and her children in behind her.

Leaning against the door, she let out a sigh. Grace had known it would be hard on the children and that they were aware that things weren't so perfect in their old home, but she hadn't known that they were that aware. What must Murphy think? Rubbing her forehead with her free hand, Grace made her way down the hall to check on Connor.

What was Murphy supposed to say to that? The two of them were looking at him so innocently, he was afraid to say the wrong thing and hurt them. And just how much had Grace heard? He seemed to have gone deaf and dumb when Alice had asked him that question, so it hadn't been until she'd started banging things around in the kitchen that he'd been aware of her presence. Their father hadn't been nice to her. Had he cheated? Of course if he'd been knocking her around, that would explain the marks over her body. Though, even for domestic abuse, those marks were extreme.  
"Well…" He began, trying to choose his words carefully. "What makes a da?" Alice and Jack looked at him and both thought about it.  
"Someone who plays with me." Said Alice and Jack nodded in agreement.  
"Someone who will pick us up from school with momma."  
"Someone who will have dinner with us, as a family."  
"Someone who will read stories to us and put us to bed."  
"Someone who loves us and loves our momma." With each statement, Murphy's heart ached like a dagger to his heart. Though it was Jack's final word that twisted that dagger.  
"Our father never really did any of those things. He was too busy with his friends and work."  
"Would that be the same for an uncle?" He asked, scuffing up Jack's wet hair.  
"Hmmm, I guess so, but an uncle wouldn't love our momma the same way a dad should." Jack said, swatting Murphy's hand away and giggling.  
"I have work too," He began, watching the twin's faces fall. "But I can work something out with your mam and see if I can't come pick ya both up from school sometimes, and when I'm not workin' late, I'll come and help your mam with bed time." That seemed to be a good enough compromise for the two of them, for now. However Alice had one more thing to add.  
"It would be really nice if you could sleep here with momma." She told him, looking up at him through thick lashes. "I think momma would feel a lot more safer with you here. She looks at you funny. I don't think I ever even saw her look at our daddy like that."

All thoughts of just how their mother looked at him aside, Murphy couldn't help but notice that Jack referred to their mysterious father as father, and yet Alice called him daddy. Surely the later was more like how a child would call their father?  
"Con and I are just down the hall." Murphy said seriously. "If anything ever happens in here 'n' ya don' feel safe, scream real loud for me 'n' Con 'n' me'll come running. If ya can get away at all, run as fast as ye can and don't stop screamin' or bangin' on our door until one of us answers, alrigh'?" Both twins nodded. "Now we best get ye in bed b'fore ya get all wrinkled."

Connor didn't seem all that sick to Grace, but she didn't want to return to her apartment just yet. Though she wasn't sure why, she trusted her children with the MacManus boys. Besides, she'd locked the door on her way out. They would be fine. Instead, she focused on talking to Connor, listening to him tell stories about their life and family in Ireland. The country sounded so magical, she found herself aching to get away from the States and go there. Patrick had regularly taken her and the children out of the country, but it was always to places like Paris, Fiji and London, places with social standing and bragging rights. Some little town in the middle of country Ireland would never have been a place on Patrick's bucket list.

Connor had kept looking at her strangely, probably wondering what she was doing there in the first place, but he never questioned her, just let her ask her questions as if it were stress relief. Eventually, she had to leave as she assumed Murphy would want to get back to his unwell brother – even if he didn't seem to be sick. He seemed just as bright as he'd been earlier when they met in the elevator, sitting up in bed and chatting happily away. He'd wolfed down the food she'd brought also, with a beer she'd brought him from his fridge.  
"Thanks fer the company, rabbit, those kids of yers would be gettin' mighty sleepy round about now, wouldn't they?" Connor asked as he watched her tidy up the apartment. He couldn't wait for Murphy to get back. Something had happened over dinner to spook the lass out.  
"They wanted Murphy." Grace said absentmindedly. "He was bathing them when I left to check on you." She was so busy cleaning, that she didn't notice the way Connor's eyebrows shot up to his hair line. Murphy MacManus was playing da. He'd never let his brother hear the end of it. With all the jokes he and Rocco had said, Murphy always brushed it off and yet here he was bathing them.  
"Rabbit, ya need to get over there 'n' give me photographic proof somehow." He grinned, sitting up even straighter.  
"Hmm?" Grace asked, her own mind going about a mile a second. Noticing how out of it she was, Connor simply chuckled.  
"Go home, lass, you're exhausted. While I appreciate yer cleanin' skills – and our place has ne'er looked so clean, ya need ta get some sleep. Ya can't've had much last night."

Nodding, Grace moved to take his rubbish.  
"Go. I've got it."

The apartment was quiet when she returned. Unlocking the door she stepped in to see Murphy heating something up in one of the pans she had brought at the store earlier that day. He'd rolled her sleeping bag out, she noticed as she glanced around the room. She'd left the picnic blanket out, but he'd tidied that up too.  
"They're asleep." Murphy told her, pouring what looked to be warm milk from the pan to a plastic cup. "Cm'ere and drink this. I'll rub yer back." Grace hesitated, so he continued. "Ain't gonna bite, love."

Her eyes were locked with his as she stepped toward him. Once she was standing in the little kitchen, he pulled her so her back was leaning against his front and placed the milk in her hands. It was pleasantly warm, enough to warm her hands and her insides as she sipped. His big, rough hands slowly kneaded out the knots in her neck and shoulders, causing a soft moan to slip from her lips. He stiffened behind her, but continued to work the knots away.  
"Tomorrow, Con 'n' I don' have work." He told her, his breath against the back of her head. "What time d'ya start?"  
"Eleven." She whispered, feeling enchanted by him and not wanting to break the spell just yet.  
"Let us take the kiddies to school. Ya deserve a lie in." She began to turn around to protest, but he held her in place, his hands still massaging her shoulders. "I don' know what made ya leave yer old home, but yer not alone now, Grace. I- We're happy ta help. Leave yer keys with me tonight. I'll lock up behind me 'n' Con 'n' I will come by 'n' get the kids ready in the mornin'."

How could she sleep knowing that someone else had the keys to her place and that she hadn't deadlocked the door? Somehow, however, she found herself nodding.  
"Good." Murphy said and for a moment, Grace could have sworn that he'd ghosted his lips over the top of her head. "Now, I'll turn around, ya get inta bed and I'll sit by you 'til you fall asleep. Where are yer keys, so I'm not looking around for them in the dark?" Grace handed him the keys and moved to undress for bed. There was something exhilarating about getting naked and into bed while a man was in the room. It was something she hadn't felt since she had first married Patrick.

Once she was in bed, she called out to Murphy and he moved to sit beside her. Reaching out, he began to stroke her hair, startling her at first.  
"Alice liked it, so I just thought…" He trailed off, moving to pull his hand away.  
"No," She whispered, covering his hand with her own. "I like it, I'm just… I'm just jumpy. I'll get used to it." She yawned, the combination of the warm milk, massage and his warm hand through her hair, putting her to sleep quickly. "I… I can't live like this anymore."

Murphy waited to see if she'd continued, feeling like she'd opened up to him so much more, but she had fallen asleep. This was bad. He was falling for her and he didn't know how to stop. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to.

Sighing, he pulled himself up onto his knees and leaned over her to press his lips to her forehead.  
"Night, Grace." He told her softly before checking on the kids and letting himself out of the apartment. Murphy made sure that the door was locked, not only for her sake but his, and for a moment he considered going right back in there and sleeping on the floor beside her to keep the three of them safe. However, he knew Connor would worry. Besides, man was probably waiting around for him to get back and bring gossip.

**Hopefully this isn't too rushed/makes sense. It's late, but I wanted to get an update up for you all. Would anyone mind terribly if I started writing the Twin's voice properly and y'all just imagined their Irish accent? It's hard to write, haha. Well, goodnight! I'll try to update more frequently. Check out my new story if you haven't! It's called Daddy's Girl. **


	8. Murder

**Warning: The first half of this chapter might be a little dark and distressing for some. It will get darker in later chapters but just in case I thought a warning would be good. The second half will jump back to our favourite twins. **

It was cold and dark. At some point, a sack had been placed over her head. Once she was in the van, she'd been stabbed with a needle that had knocked her out. Now, as she came to, she could feel a hard wooden chair underneath her, her wrists bound to the back of the chair and her ankles bound to the legs. She was cold, and she was scared.

They'd jumped her as she left work. She assumed it had something to do with the trouble her husband had got into with the mafia. It had been the money he'd borrowed that had caused her to take up work in the first place. Never in her fourty years of marriage had she ever had the need to work and then her husband went and got himself laid off. Three babies and she's raised everyone with her own two hands. That no good husband of hers had gone missing, run off with a younger woman when the loan sharks came knocking. She wouldn't cry though. She'd not cried a day since she left her ma and da in Ireland and came to this Country and she wasn't about to start now.

At the sound of a door opening, she sat up a little straighter, her head held high in defiance.  
"If you're looking for Aengus O'Reilly, you'll get no information from me. I haven't seen the bastard since he left be for a younger model two years ago." She said, her Irish brogue strong and clear. "Don't go thinking you'll get any ransom money for me. He made his loyalties clear when he left with that scarlet woman."

Two sets of footsteps walked through the room and stopped right in front of her.  
"Now I'm afraid we don't know anything about that. We want to talk to you about something much more recent." The voice to her left said. "I believe, Ms McGee, that you recently leased an apartment to a Miss Grace Harrison and her two children." Ellen bristled. What would men who treated a woman like this want with that timid little creature and her two little angels? "Don't feel like talking, ma'am?" The man to her left cackled and she head a metallic noise. "My partner here might not be a man of many words, but he can be quite… _physical_." A cold blade pressed against her collarbone causing the old woman to cry out in surprise as her skin opened.  
"We don't want to hurt you ma'am. You see, our boss is rather attached to the children – his children. The woman stole them from him and made him believe that the three of them were dead. It's not right to take a child from his father. You know that of course."  
"No, I can't say it is. However, if the father was a drop kick, I'd see no problem with it." A blow to the side of her head sent Ellen and the chair she was tied to flying onto their side. Pain shot along her shoulder and collarbone, but she continued. "I don't know what reason that sweet girl had to do what she did but you'll get no help from me."

It was silent for a moment and, if Ellen had been the naïve young thing she had once been, she would have thought they'd given up and gone away. However, it wasn't true. The bag had come off her head when she'd fallen and she finally saw the two men. The larger one walked towards her and stopped right by her. He cracked a twisted smile and stepped out and down onto her thigh, snapping it violently. His companion just laughed as the old woman cried out in pain once more and struggled against her bindings.  
"Yes, yes, you're so brave, but this is getting boring." Stepping towards the woman, to stand at his partner's side, he pulled out a gun and cocked it. "Tell us the information we want or we'll kill you." He pointed the gun at her head, as his partner did the same. Ellen stared boldly up at him, not making a sound, her face defiant. The tall, thin man made a clicking noise with his tongue.  
"Such a shame. Though we might as well make this look like the work of those saints Boston loves so much, what do you think Al? They're not too kind to our kind after all."

It was difficult to stay in bed and pretend to be asleep while Connor and Murphy got the twins ready for school. It wasn't as easy as the nannies used to make it look, and yet she'd been spared the task twice now.  
"Don't even think about getting up, rabbit." Came Connor's teasing voice. Grace simply rolled over and prayed they'd leave quickly so she could get up and moving. It was painful lying on the ground for so long. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd need to put buying a bed higher for herself higher up on the list. Today, however, she'd go and see what she could find for her children. Maybe, if she had time, she'd hunt around the thrift stores and see what sort of bed she could find for herself. Grace was pulled from her thoughts by someone approaching her side.  
"Hey." Murphy said softly, kneeling down to talk to her lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Have a good day today, love." Grace gasped gently, her eyes flying open as he gently pressed his lips to her cheek causing Murphy to chuckle.  
"We'll pick up the twins from school today, but hurry home to me, alright?"

Long after they were gone, Grace stayed in bed, gazing up at the ceiling, her heart still fluttering wildly in her chest. It was only a kiss on the cheek and yet it was like she had felt the first time she had been with a man.  
"You're being ridiculous, Grace." She told herself, struggling out of bed. She let herself stand, naked, alone in the empty apartment for a moment before she went about getting ready for her day.

"So…" Connor began, falling into step beside his twin. "Want to tell me what that was all about then?" They had just dropped the twins off at their school and were walking to work. Murphy ignored his brother, stuffing his hands down into his pockets. "Seriously, you weren't all too talkative last night either, Murph. If you're not careful, you might hurt my feelings." It stung that Murphy was keeping something from him. While he was happy that some progress had been made by him not going to dinner the night before, part of him still didn't want to share his brother. The pain was made even worse when he had come home and gone straight to bed without little being said.  
"There's not much to say, Con." Murphy said finally, his eyes trained ahead. "Nothing that you don't already know."

It was awkward to talk about feelings with Connor. Sure, they'd discussed girls before. They'd often lie awake in bed when they were younger and talk about lust and want. Things with Grace were different though. He wasn't a teenaged boy anymore, looking to get into the pants of the girl he was crushing on. This was borderline love territory, something that he'd never felt before. Love wasn't something that the brothers discussed.  
"You already know I… care about her a lot, Con." He said anyway, despite how strange the words felt on his tongue. "Those kids too. They asked if I was going to be their new da last night." Murphy tried to ignore the surprised look on his twin's face as it whipped around to face him. "No, she didn't hear – at least she didn't act like she heard. They told me something more though, said that their da wasn't kind to Grace." He left the rest of his thoughts unsaid, knowing that Connor would put two and two together. Grace's body was littered with scars and with what the twins had told him, it made horrifying sense. He needed to get her alone to talk about it, but he needed to earn her trust more first. She'd opened up to him some, but it wouldn't be enough. Even a blind man could see the walls that Grace Harrison had built up around herself.

Connor clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder.  
"It's alright, Murph." He said, though on the inside he was fuming that anyone had dared lay a hand on their rabbit, especially someone who had promised to love, honour and protect her. "She got out. _They_ got out. They have us now and we're not going to let anyone touch them." Murphy nodded in agreement, his eyes locking with his twin's.  
"They're family." He said simply, his eyes saying what he couldn't. The look Murphy had given him, the meaning behind it, had shocked Connor, but he didn't let it show. His brother was in love with their timid little neighbour. Even if he wasn't ready to admit it himself, Connor could tell. He simply nodded once firmly and turned back to face away from Murphy, swearing to himself that he would protect what was precious to his brother and therefore precious to himself.

It had been a long day at work. Two customers had both taken a swing at chatting her up, and one had had a hard time taking no for an answer. However, she'd found not only beds for both of the children, but a bed for herself earlier in the day, and her boss had let her go an hour early so she could have them set up by the time Jack and Alice returned home. He'd even given her a box of tools saying that everyone ought to have them around the house. However, once she'd gotten home and unpacked one of the flat pack beds, Grace realized that maybe she'd bitten off more than she could chew. The instructions made no sense, nothing was labelled and she didn't know what half of the tools were. With a frustrated groan, Grace threw the sheet of instructions down and ran her fingers through her hair, only to get them tangled on a particularly nasty knot.  
"Having a bit of trouble there?" Grace jumped and turned around to see a strange man standing in the doorway of the room. In all her excitement of getting home, she'd forgotten to lock the front door. "I don't mean to startle you hon, I was looking for the MacManus boys, but they weren't home. Rocco had mentioned that they spent a lot of time around here lately, so when the door was unlocked…" He let his sentence trail off, waving his hands nonchalantly. "Paul Smecker, at your service, and you're Grace Harrison." He moved forward carefully and held out his card. "You haven't seen the boys, have you?" Grace shook her head, letting his words sink in. Just what were the twins into that they knew an FBI agent? She hadn't made the wrong choice in trusting the MacManus brothers, had she?  
"T-they're supposed to be… be picking up my twins from school." She told him. "D-did they… um… did they…"  
"Do something wrong? Oh no, I'm just an old friend, though, do you know where they were last night between the times of 6:30 and 8:45?" Grace paled momentarily before she remembered that Murphy had been at her house and she had checked up on Connor not long after.  
"They were with my boy in their apartment from around 6:20 until a little after seven. Then Murphy came over for dinner – Connor was unwell though," she added quickly "He couldn't have gotten into any trouble as I went over to see how he was feeling and bring him dinner at around 8 o'clock. I stayed there to talk to him for around half an hour before returning home to Murphy who had been bathing my children and putting them to bed. He would have left maybe 20 minutes later." There was no way the boys were dangerous enough to be wanted by the FBI. Sure, they were a little rough around the edges but they were harmless. Agent Smecker grinned.  
"So Rocco was right, Murphy's trying out domesticity. I knew it wasn't them though, too sloppy and uncalled for, what would they want with a sweet little old lady." Grace looked confused at the man's words. "Though… Ellen McGee. Realtor. Does that mean anything to you?"  
"This an investigation, Smecker?" Murphy asked, stepping into the room and around Paul to help Grace off the floor. She just looked at him puzzled before answering.  
"She's my realtor. She's the one who leased me this place – for a steal I might add. Did something happen to her?"  
"Is there somewhere for the children to go? Rocco, would you take them to the boys' apartment?" Paul asked, noticing the twins, Connor and Rocco though he hadn't taken his eyes off of Grace and Murphy. Grace stiffened, trusting the twins were one thing, but Rocco she hadn't decided yet. "I think Connor needs to hear this also."  
"Don't worry. They're safe with Rocco." Connor said, entering the room. "You've been redecorating, rabbit. Looks nice, though, maybe you'll let me and Murph put the rest of it together later?"

The twins and Rocco being going, Paul stepped into the room and shut the door.  
"How much does she know?" He asked, speaking to the twins.  
"Nothing." They replied together.  
"What happened to Ms McGee?" Connor asked, feeling as though he already knew the answer.  
"She's been murdered." He turned his gaze to Grace this time. She gasped, her legs giving way. What if—No they were safe here, he couldn't have found them already. Murphy was quick to wrap his arm around her and hold her up.  
"That's not all." Smecker continued, once more looking at Connor and Murphy. "It seems we have a pair of copy-cat killers on our hands. Tried to frame," He glanced at Grace before turning back to the boys. "The _saints_."

Grace felt like she was getting paler as the seconds ticked by.  
"He's coming for us." She breathed, feeling as if she was going to vomit. "My babies, you need to get Rocco to bring them back right now. It's not safe. We need to go. Oh God. We need to go." She was panicking now, her heart speeding as her breathing got shakier. Murphy held her tight, despite her protests.  
"Ms Harrison, I think it's time you were completely honest with us all."


	9. It All Comes Out

**Thank you so much to those of you have have stuck by and continue to read this story. Life is a little more settled now, and I will try and update more frequently. Also; rereading this so that I can update, I'm annoyed by the spelling/grammar mistakes and that the format isn't working. The boys finally get to hear Grace's story. Things will be slow burn romance wise, however. A word of warning, however, this is Grace's story and there will be unsavoury topics brought up.**

The room was stuffy and suffocating. Grace felt like she could barely draw a breath and her legs had long since given up on working as Murphy held her upright. She needed to get out, they needed to escape and move on. Surely there was another town they could go, less populated than Boston. Boston had been a terrible idea, what had she been thinking?

"Ms Harrison." Smecker prompted again, signalling for Murphy to let her sink to the floor (which he reluctantly complied). He then crouched and looked deep into her eyes. "We can help you. There are no safer hands to be in than those of the MacManus boys, Rocco and myself. If you are in any trouble, we need to know. We can't help you if you don't tell us."

Ignoring the pain in her brittle bones, Grace pulled her knees to her chest and hugged her legs. Murphy joined her on the ground and placed his hand on her forearm, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his chest when she flinched.  
"You can trust us, Grace." He breathed, giving her arm a gentle and, he hoped, reassuring squeeze. Grace nodded, drawing in a shaky breath.

"I-I," She sighed, trying to focus of the gentle pressure of Murphy's hand on her arm and allowing it to calm her down. "I know. I wouldn't leave you alone with my children - or take your word that I can trust someone else to watch my children - if I didn't trust you both. It's hard opening up about this, however." Neither Murphy, Connor nor Paul said anything, feeling if they were to speak they would pull Grace from the confidence she seemed to have presently. "I wasn't always this way, you know?" It was a rhetorical question, of course they had no idea what she had been like. "Well, I was poor but not like this. I was brave and studious and I was working towards a degree. I didn't have any time for boys and marriage was the last thing on my mind. Then I met Patrick Butler and everything changed. He was sweet and gentlemanly and," She laughed nervously, realizing how ridiculous she had been at twenty. "Sinfully handsome. Enough so that I gave up everything the second he asked to marry me. Looking back on it, I think I was just craving family. My parents died while I was in high school and his family and their life seemed so glamorous and idyllic that I being a part of it almost seemed too good to be true. In hindsight, I suppose it was."

Grace was drawn from her trance by Connor shifting in the spot where he sat on the floor. She could tell that he was getting antsy, wanting answers and not - what he probably thought was - irrelevant backstory. Smiling gently, she reached out and petted his knee, not noticing the look Murphy gave his brother over her head. "Sorry, it's not irrelevant, I promise." Connor had the decency to blush guiltily. "Anyway, he didn't even last a year before things… before he began to change. He'd stay out to all hours, drinking and partying with his friends, but he never laid a hand on me until about six months into our marriage. He came home at about four in the morning, and I was waiting up for him. I'd been sick all week and, while he'd been at work, I had found out that I was pregnant and I was so…" Her breath hitched at the memory, sitting up in bed, waiting patiently for the man she had married. "So excited to share the news with him. To share _our_ news. He made a little comment about how I was like an obedient dog waiting for her master - or something like that - it was stupid, but with all the hormones and waiting up till all hours, I was tired and cranky and I… I was so shocked that he could say something like that. It hurt to be compared to someone's pet. I told him that the comment had hurt. I… s-suppose that there was a bit of an edge to my voice that made him mad and he backhanded me across the face," She sat up a little straighter, still quick to defend her husband after all that he had done. "He apologised right away, of course, and I believed him." She could feel Murphy and Connor bristle at her sides but she continued, now that she had opened that can of worms, she couldn't stop the words from pouring out of her mouth.

"He didn't do it again until the twins were two. One of my friends from college was passing through town and wanted to catch up for coffee. My mother-in-law begged me to go out and enjoy myself. She said that she wanted to see her grandchildren and I honestly hadn't been out with anyone since Patrick and I were married, so I left promising that I would only be gone for an hour. Do you have children, Mister Smecker?" The detective shook his head and Grace smiled politely. "The problem with children is that you can't let them out of your sight for a second. My mother-in-law is a very vain woman and is distracted quite easily. It is my understanding that they were out on the front porch and somehow Jack got down to the duck pond and fell in, we almost lost him if their butler hadn't noticed him. When we got home from the hospital, Patrick was so mad. He flew into a rage, blaming me for abandoning our children. He said that it was my fault. I was so mad, I'd been so worried and had only gone out for an hour, so I snapped and fought back."  
"That's my girl." Connor said under his breath, causing Grace to colour for a moment before shaking her head.

"It was a stupid idea, especially after the first night he hit me. He decided that I needed to be punished. He… um… he…" She let out a shuddering breath and let her gaze fall to the ground. Steeling her resolve, Grace looked up to meet Smecker's gaze. "He tied me face down to the bed, whipped me with an extension chord and then raped me." Murphy's grip on Grace's arm tightened almost painfully and Connor swore harshly. Paul never broke their gaze, nodding slightly, encouraging to go on. "Once that dam had burst, nothing held him back. On the outside, we continued living a life that made people jealous. I just wore clothing with higher necklines and longer hemlines. He never harmed me in places that couldn't be covered up. When we were alone…" Grace shook her head. "I could tolerate the beatings, the raping, the… infidelity, but…" She took a deep breath. "One night, he had a bunch of his friends over to our place. I was in the library and I had no idea that they were over until I was trying to get back to our room. I walked past his study and heard something that stopped me in my tracks. He'd been doing and dealing drugs, working closely with multiple mafia groups and," God, it hurt too much to say. How had she been so naive and stupid to not notice the horrible things the man she had married was getting into? Almost as if he was reading her mind, Paul spoke up.  
"You not knowing what was going on does not make you stupid, Grace." She nodded.  
"No, I… You're right. You can get him put away, this will help right?" Paul's face fell momentarily before regaining its' composure.

"If your husband is Patrick Butler, I am assuming that you are his dead wife, Grace Butler-nee-Parker." Grace nodded. "Then you must know that the testimony of a dead woman is not the most concrete of evidence. It _may_ help us catch him out, but that is a big 'may', Ms Harrison. Do you understand?"

Grace nodded. Giving up her deepest, darkest of secrets wouldn't help put Patrick away at all. It wouldn't guarantee her children safety at all. There was a possibility that it could lead to his arrest, but there was no guarantee.  
"He's running a human trafficking ring." Her gaze was unwavering. "Mostly women and ch-children but some men - mainly teenagers. The majority of them are being sold into prostitution and slavery but…" She clenched her fists. "There's a new," Grimacing, she tried to keep the foul taste of bile out of her mouth. "_Hobby_ going around with the fabulously wealthy. It's like fox hunting but _with people._"


End file.
